The Reverend Kenneth Meshoe was re-elected unopposed as the conservative African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader at the party’s national annual general conference at the weekend.
In a statement released on Monday, it said that deputy president Louis Green was also re-elected unopposed at the conference — marking the party’s 10th anniversary — in Pretoria at the weekend. Both men are members of Parliament.
The party’s national executive committee was also announced, including national media director Reverend Selby Khumalo and National Youth chairperson Wesley Douglas.
The party introduced a prominent new member — former justice department deputy director-general Mike Tshishonga.
“We are humbled by the addition of Mr Tshishonga who decided to join the ACDP because he believes it is the right party to fight corruption and uphold the moral values shared by the masses,” Meshoe said.
Meshoe, whose party has seven members in the National Assembly out of 400 and about 25 councillors in municipalities around the country, said his party would be focusing on the issues of crime and security, poverty and unemployment, the scourge of HIV/Aids and education.
Focusing on the role and rights of parents and children, Meshoe said that South Africa’s children were in danger, with studies on youth risk behaviour showing that children as young as 14 years old were engaging “in sexual activity”.
“These shocking statistics are a sad indication that our nation is fast sliding into the abyss because our moral foundation has been eroded. Government must stop talking about moral regeneration while they are promoting moral degeneration,” Meshoe said.
Referring to the lowering of the standard of education in schools, Meshoe said that the ACDP rejected claims by the government that pass rates at schools had improved. Instead, he argued students were being pushed through who were not ready to proceed to the next grade. – I-Net Bridge